Photography by Deb Hodge

We asked our readers to share their favorite party planning ideas for a successful artistic celebration. Jot down some notes that spark your interest and download this free article from the newest issue of Mingle to get a head-start on party planning. After all, ’tis the season!

Blue Moon Party: Host a party when a blue moon is scheduled to appear in the night sky. Ask your friends to bring over their favorite comfort food ― the food you like to eat when you’re feeling a bit “blue.” You can decorate the room with a blue, white, and silver color palette. Serve blue chips and dips, pears with blue cheese, and finish the evening with a blueberry dessert. – party idea by Ella

Blast from the Past Tea Party: Have guests dress in an outfit from their favorite decade. Ask friends to bring their teapots to the party and brew a variety of teas. Artfully arrange a candy spread, including treats from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, etc., to celebrate each decade. Create your own little table topic cards to take a trip down memory lane and have a blast from the past! – party idea by Jackie

Colorful Crafty Gal Pals’ Night Out: To celebrate a spectrum of hues, this soiree encourages everyone to dress in their favorite color, bring a sweet or savory snack in that color, and prepare one make-and-take project that features that same color. The hostess can provide mineral water and club soda, garnished with sliced fruits and colorful syrups. With this rainbow of crafting ideas, everyone will be inspired. – party idea by Brenda

Swap Party: Each attendee brings a fun, tiny crafting item to swap with the other guests. You can pick up vintage teapots at the flea market, adorn them with ribbon and paper flowers, and pass them out to attendees. Have your guests fill the teapots with their swapped items. It is a great memento for them to take home after the get-together, and can also be a great way to spark creativity after the party has concluded. – party idea by Jennifer

The following Mingle tips caught my eye. Try these out at your next celebration!

Photography by navyblur.co.uk

“The online world is a fantastic source of inspiration and support, but there is nothing quite like meeting face-to-face with people who get you. People who understand how creating makes your heart sing. People who want to stay up for hours talking about the journey of life. People who truly want to see your dreams come true, and will do whatever they can to help make that happen.” – musings by Beth Nicolls (Mingle Autumn ’11)

Photography by Rubyellen Bratcher

“For centerpieces, I used a burlap runner down the middle, and I filled mason jars with big bunches of baby’s breath … And I filled two plates full of candles and lit those up; it gave the party a bit of romance.” – décor tip by Rubyellen Bratcher (MingleSpring ’12)

Photography by Maggie Russo

“As the guests left, they grabbed a bag of “Take a Hike” trail mix for the road. After a night of s’mores, s’mores, and more s’mores, it was the perfect salty snack!” – party tip by Sara De St. Jean(MingleAutumn ’12)

Photography by Martha Schuster

For more styling ideas for your next handmade celebration and one-of-a-kind reasons to get together with friends, family, and other creative minds, download this free article from the Autumn ’12 issue of Mingle.

My daughter and I were so inspired by some of the great party ideas in Mingle that we did an all-out party blast for her 8yr old’s b’day. He is crazy about baseball and is on a team. So we had everything we could imagine at his party. I made a banner of white penants saying: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MASON! I outlined each penant with a red marker to imitate stitching. We had baseball plates, cups, napkins and a photo of him in his baseball suit sitting beside his baseball cake. We had a concession stand with all the goodies that are available at a baseball game. I will be posting these on my blog later. Mingle provides some great party ideas!

Photography by Deb Hodge

We asked our readers to share their favorite party planning ideas for a successful artistic celebration. Jot down some notes that spark your interest and download this free article from the newest issue of Mingle to get a head-start on party planning. After all, ’tis the season!

Blue Moon Party: Host a party when a blue moon is scheduled to appear in the night sky. Ask your friends to bring over their favorite comfort food ― the food you like to eat when you’re feeling a bit “blue.” You can decorate the room with a blue, white, and silver color palette. Serve blue chips and dips, pears with blue cheese, and finish the evening with a blueberry dessert. – party idea by Ella

Blast from the Past Tea Party: Have guests dress in an outfit from their favorite decade. Ask friends to bring their teapots to the party and brew a variety of teas. Artfully arrange a candy spread, including treats from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, etc., to celebrate each decade. Create your own little table topic cards to take a trip down memory lane and have a blast from the past! – party idea by Jackie

Colorful Crafty Gal Pals’ Night Out: To celebrate a spectrum of hues, this soiree encourages everyone to dress in their favorite color, bring a sweet or savory snack in that color, and prepare one make-and-take project that features that same color. The hostess can provide mineral water and club soda, garnished with sliced fruits and colorful syrups. With this rainbow of crafting ideas, everyone will be inspired. – party idea by Brenda

Swap Party: Each attendee brings a fun, tiny crafting item to swap with the other guests. You can pick up vintage teapots at the flea market, adorn them with ribbon and paper flowers, and pass them out to attendees. Have your guests fill the teapots with their swapped items. It is a great memento for them to take home after the get-together, and can also be a great way to spark creativity after the party has concluded. – party idea by Jennifer

The following Mingle tips caught my eye. Try these out at your next celebration!

Photography by navyblur.co.uk

“The online world is a fantastic source of inspiration and support, but there is nothing quite like meeting face-to-face with people who get you. People who understand how creating makes your heart sing. People who want to stay up for hours talking about the journey of life. People who truly want to see your dreams come true, and will do whatever they can to help make that happen.” – musings by Beth Nicolls (Mingle Autumn ’11)

Photography by Rubyellen Bratcher

“For centerpieces, I used a burlap runner down the middle, and I filled mason jars with big bunches of baby’s breath … And I filled two plates full of candles and lit those up; it gave the party a bit of romance.” – décor tip by Rubyellen Bratcher (MingleSpring ’12)

Photography by Maggie Russo

“As the guests left, they grabbed a bag of “Take a Hike” trail mix for the road. After a night of s’mores, s’mores, and more s’mores, it was the perfect salty snack!” – party tip by Sara De St. Jean(MingleAutumn ’12)

Photography by Martha Schuster

For more styling ideas for your next handmade celebration and one-of-a-kind reasons to get together with friends, family, and other creative minds, download this free article from the Autumn ’12 issue of Mingle.